The silver dollar salute is a U.S. military tradition in which a newly commissioned officer (second lieutenants in the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force; ensigns in the Navy and Coast Guard) awards a silver dollar to the first enlisted person who salutes him or her. It’s a symbol of gratitude for the training and mentorship that an enlisted man has provided. The tradition can be traced to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, when NCOs were paid an extra stipend for helping train new officers. When the young U.S. government ended funding for the stipend, the officers paid the NCOs a piece of silver out of their own pockets.